Student Survey Procedure

Policy code: ST2014
Policy owner: Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience
Approval authority: Chief Learner Experience Officer
Approval date: 15 May 2024
Next review date: 11 February 2027

Purpose
Scope
Legislative Context
Definitions
Actions
1. Proposing a new Survey
2. Approving the student survey proposal
3. Reviewing the student survey proposal outcome
4. Approving the Survey
5. Reviewing the Survey approval outcome
6. Conducting the survey
7. Collating and storing the survey data
8. Analysing the survey data
9. Appeals
Supporting Documents
Responsibility
Implementation

Purpose

Student Surveys provide the University with important feedback for planning, delivering and improving our services. This procedure ensures that surveys feedback distributed under Federation University branding and/or sent from Federation University email addresses or profiles, follow the appropriate planning, design and implementation steps to enable: 

  • coordination of the timing and quantity of surveys based on the targetrespondents, thereby managing the survey load of particular groups and avoiding survey fatigue;
  • avoidance of excessive surveying through the provision of shared data and survey analysis;
  • quality assurance on the questioning, sampling, delivery, data collection, privacy and storage of surveys;
  • identification of surveys where Human ResearchEthics approval is required.

Scope

This procedure applies to all Federation University Australia staff distributing a new or existing student survey using Federation University Australia branding, or sent from a Federation University email address or profile, to: past, current, potential students, graduates and alumni.

This includes surveys conducted by third parties, including benchmarking surveys, on behalf of Federation University Australia.  It is applicable to all surveys, including where the survey is distributed by post, email, social media, learning management system, face-to-face or distributed by hand-out.

This procedure does not apply to surveys:

  • that are not actively distributed , such as optional feedback forms provided in a static location, e.g. on a service counter;
  • that are conducted as part of the Australian Government QILT survey suite;
  • that are conducted as part of the Nation-wide Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ);
  • that are part of the Annual Progress Reports and SEPP (please refer to the HDR Candidature Management Policy)
  • that form a part of SELT
  • that require Human Research Ethics approval that are run by the Student Senate 

Legislative Context

Definitions

Term Definition
Survey Developer The Federation University Australia staff member responsible for the delivery of the Survey.
Student Survey Coordinator The Federation University Australia staff member responsible for approving the delivery of the Survey.
Research survey A Survey that is deemed to require ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee
General Survey A Survey with the purpose of either evaluating the performance of student related services or for planning the future delivery of student related services.
HREC Human Research Ethics Committee
QILT Department of Education and Training funded Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching
PREQ Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire
SELT Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching
Marketing Survey These include surveys targeted at graduates and alumni as well as prospective students, i.e. students that are not actively studying nor have accepted an offer to study at a Federation University campus.

Actions

1. Proposing a new Survey

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Determine the purpose, outcomes, data and timing of the survey Survey Developer
  1. Identify the purpose and required outcomes of the survey.
  2. Identify the data required to achieve the outcomes of the survey.
  3. Identify the date that the outcomes are required by.
B. Engage stakeholders Survey Developer
  1. Facilitate consultations with relevant stakeholders to gather input on the questions necessary to achieve the shared outcomes.
C. Complete Survey Proposal Form Survey Developer
  1. Complete all questions on the Survey Proposal Form.
  2. Submit the Survey Proposal Form

2. Approving the student survey proposal

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Review the Survey Proposal Form Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Review the proposed purpose, outcomes, data and timing of the survey with the Survey Developer.
  2. Review the survey proposal against the guiding questions for a Research Survey.
B. Provide feedback on the proposed survey. Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Advise the Survey Developer if the survey is considered a Research Survey. 
  2. Identify if survey analysis exists that could satisfy the outcomes of the proposed survey.
  3. Provide the Survey Developer with the opportunity to amend and resubmit the Survey Proposal Form where any changes are suggested to the proposal.
C. Amend the survey proposal Survey Developer
  1. Make amendments to the Survey Proposal Form if required as advised by the Federation University Survey Coordinator and then resubmit
D. Approve or decline the survey proposal Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Determine if the proposal to conduct the survey will be approved or declined.
  2. Advise the Survey Developer in writing of the outcome of the application via email. 

3. Reviewing the student survey proposal outcome

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Review the survey proposal outcome Survey Developer
  1. Review the approval decision provided by the Federation University Survey Coordinator.
  2. Proceed to ACTION 4 if approval has been given.
B. Re-submit the Survey Approval Form Survey Developer
  1. Make the recommended changes and resubmit the Survey Application Form and survey questions where the survey approval is declined and recommendations have been made for changes.
  2. Procedure recommences at ACTION 2.

4. Approving the Survey

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Submit a draft copy of the survey for review Survey Developer
  1. Send a draft copy of the survey to the Federation University Survey Coordinator at surveys@federation.edu.au
B. Approve or decline the survey Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Determine if the survey will be approved or declined for distribution. To approve the survey, the following items must be provided to the Student Survey Coordinator’s satisfaction:
    1. The survey must include the mandatory text items from the Mandatory elements of a Federation University Australia Survey
    2. The questions must align with the purpose and outcomes of the survey.
    3. The questions should be of sound structure and where appropriate, follow the conventions outlined in the Federation University Australia Survey Quality Guidelines.
    4. The survey should be of appropriate length to achieve its purpose and outcomes.
  2. Advise the Survey Developer in writing of the outcome of the approval via email.

5. Reviewing the Survey approval outcome

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Review the survey approval outcome Survey Developer
  1. Review the approval decision provided by the Student Survey Coordinator
B. Re-submit a copy of the survey for review Survey Developer
  1. Make the recommended changes and resubmit the survey questions where the survey is declined and recommendations have been made for changes.
  2. Procedure recommences at ACTION 4B.

6. Conducting the survey

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Test the survey Survey Developer
  1. Send a trial version to a colleague or colleagues to review the format and typographic elements of the survey.
B. Open and distribute the survey Survey Developer/Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Send the survey to the distribution list.
C. Send reminders to complete the survey Survey Developer/Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Discuss scheduled reminder dates with the Senior Surveys and Student Data Analyst to ensure no conflict with other running surveys.
  2. Reminders should be sent 7-10 days after the survey has opened, and if required, within 2-3 days of the survey closing. No more than 1 reminder per week should be sent to students.
D. Close the survey Student Survey Coordinator
  1. Close the survey on the closing date and time.
  2. Accept no more responses after the closing date and time.

7. Collating and storing the survey data

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. De-identify the survey data Survey Developer with support from the Student Surveys Coordinator
  1. Where the survey responses can be traced back to the individual student, e.g. by a name or email address. The data will be de-identified by:
    1. Extracting the survey data from the survey tool.
    2. Deleting or separating identifying data from the extracted data.
    3. Saving the extract without the identifying data.
    4. Deleting or destroying the original collected data within the survey instrument.
B. Classify the survey data Survey Developer
  1. Classify the data in accordance with the Federation University Data Classification and Usage Policy and Procedure.
C. Store the data Survey Developer
  1. Store the data in accordance with Federation University Data Storage Policy and Procedure.

8. Analysing the survey data

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Distribute the analysis to stakeholders Survey Developer
  1. Distribute the analysis to all identified stakeholders, including providing a copy to the Student Survey Coordinator at surveys@federation.edu.au  

9. Appeals

A. Appeal the approval decision Survey Developer
  1. Request that the decision is reviewed by the Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience where a survey is still declined following the resubmission and the Survey Developer wishes to escalate.
  2. Provide to the Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience a copy of the Survey Proposal Form, reasons why the survey was declined and reasons for appealing the decision.
B. Determine final decision on appeal Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience
  1. Review the appeal, the reasons why the survey was declined and the reasons for appealing the decision.
  2. Make a final determination to approve or decline the survey proposal.
  3. Communicate the decision to the Survey Developer and Federation University Survey Coordinator.

Supporting Documents

Forms

Responsibility

  • Chief Learner Experience Officer (as the Approval Authority) responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
  • Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience (as the Document Owner) responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Approval Authority.
  • Student Survey Coordinator is the person responsible for the administration support for the maintenance of this procedure as directed by the Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience.

Implementation

The Student Survey Procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. An Announcement Notice via FedNews website and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the ‘Policies, Procedures and Forms @ the University’ website to alert the University-wide community of the approved Procedure;
  2. Training sessions for existing survey owners;
  3. Instructional video.
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Policy Glossary

Approval Authority: Chief Learner Experience Officer Original Issue 09/02/2017
Policy Sponsor: Director, Retention, Innovation and Student Experience Current Version: 15/05/2024
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D Review Date: 11/02/2027
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12151 Provider Category: Australian University
RTO Code 4909 Policy Code ST2014